It used to be fairly uncommon for women over the age of 40 to have children, but many women are now delaying pregnancy to finish their educations or get established in their careers.[1] Although it can be more difficult to conceive after 40, it is still possible to get pregnant.[2] Try conceiving naturally and then consider fertility treatments if you have any difficulty getting pregnant.

Steps

Part 1

Trying Natural Conception

1

Stop any birth control. If you want to get pregnant and are using any type of birth control, stop taking or using it when you decide to start trying to conceive. It can take some time to conceive after you stop birth control, so stay diligent.

Stop using condoms or spermicides as soon as you decide to get pregnant. Because these forms of birth control don’t use hormones, there may be no delay in getting pregnant.

Stop taking your birth control pills or have any devices such as IUDs removed.

Recognize that it can take up to six months for your cycle to become regular and for you to ovulate after stopping hormonal birth control.[3]

2

Monitor your cycle for ovulation. You’re most like to get pregnant when you are ovulating. From monitoring cervical mucus to taking your basal temperature, watching your menstrual cycle can help you detect ovulation, which may increase your chances of conceiving.[4]

Many smartphones offer apps that can help you track your ovulation.

3

Observe cervical mucous. A woman’s cervical mucus changes consistency depending on her cycle. Watching for differences in your cervical mucus may help you conceive more easily.[5]

Look for an increase in mucus and a change in consistency to thin and slippery around ovulation. Following ovulation, cervical mucous decreases, thickens, and is generally less noticeable.[6]

Be comfortable and extremely diligent when examining your cervical mucus to increase your chances of conceiving.[7]

4

Watch the calendar. Observe the “standard rule” that menstrual cycles average between 26 and 32 days for most women. Watching the calendar can help you figure out the days when you are most likely to conceive.[8]

Watch for changes in your cycle around day 14, which is the approximate day on which many women ovulate.[9] Be aware that this can vary from person to person.

Consider enjoying sex more often between days 8 and 19 of your cycle to increase your chances of getting pregnant.[10]

Keep a small calendar with you so you can track the days of your cycle.

5

Track your basal body temperature. Your basal body temperature, or your body’s temperature while fully resting, can increase slightly during ovulation. Take your temperature every day before you get out of bed in the morning to measure your basal temperature and increase your chances of conceiving.[11]

Use a thermometer specifically designed for taking basal temperature. You can get these at many pharmacies and medical supply stores.[12]

Take your temperature right after you wake up and before you get out of bed as your baseline number. Make sure to continue measuring your temperature at the same time every day.[14]

Write your temperature down in a notebook and see if you notice any patterns.[15]

Most women are fertile in the two to three days before their temperature rises.[16]

6

Use an ovulation predictor kit. If tracking mucus, days, or temperature feels like too much work to you, buy an ovulation predictor kit. These tests can predict ovulation or signal it before it happens.[17]

You can purchase an ovulation predictor kit at a pharmacy.

For most kits, you will need to start using the kit on day 10 of your cycle, but check the instructions that come with the product to be sure.

When it is time to start using the kit, you will urinate on the test stick to see if you might ovulating.[18]

7

Enjoy sex regularly. They key to getting pregnant in most cases is to have sex. Aim to have sex a few times a week, which increases your chances of hitting one of your fertile days.[19]

Schedule sex with your partner if you find that you’re both busy. This might seem unromantic, but turn it into a date night or something that can help you get in the mood.

Be spontaneous as much as possible to keep things fun.

Have sex at least two to three times a week, which should be enough to hit one of your fertile periods.[20]

Have sex at least once a day near the time you ovulate to increase your chances of conceiving.[21]

8

Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Make healthy choices if you want to get pregnant. Maintaining a healthy diet and weight, exercising, and managing stress can increase your chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy.[22]

Be aware that it can take you longer than normal to conceive naturally after 35. See a doctor if it takes you longer than 6 months to rule out fertility problems.[23]

Stick to a healthy and nutrient rich diet of about 2,000 calories a day, depending on how active you are.[24] Incorporate foods from the five food groups.[25]

Aim to get 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity such as brisk walking and muscle strength training on two days of every week.[26]

Take prenatal vitamins to reduce the risk of any pregnancy resulting in neural tube defects.[30]

Part 2

Considering Fertility Treatments

1

See your OB/GYN. If you’ve been trying to conceive naturally for six months or longer with no luck, schedule an appointment with your OB/GYN. She can run tests to determine if you have a fertility issue or recommend a specialist for high-risk pregnancies.[31]

Be open and honest with your doctor about what methods you’ve been using to increase your chances of conceiving.

Take any notes you’ve kept on your cycle.

Ask any questions you might have about conceiving or your chances for getting pregnant.

2

Determine any causes of infertility. There are a variety of reasons that may prevent you from conceiving naturally including structural issues with either the man or the woman.[32] Determining what is impeding your ability to conceive can help your doctor formulate a more effective treatment plan and may also help you get pregnant. Undergo any tests your doctor might suggest for you and your partner including:

Semen analysis

Hormone testing

Ultrasound of the scrotum (for men) or uterus and fallopian tubes (for women)

Treat causes of infertility. If your doctor determines that something specific is impeding your ability to conceive, treat the disorder. After receiving your treatment, speak to your doctor about resuming attempts to conceive naturally or use other methods such as in-vitro fertilization.[34] Some treatments for infertility include:

Antibiotic treatment for infections of the reproductive tract

Medication or counseling for erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation

Stimulate ovulation with drugs. The number of eggs a woman has decreases considerably after the age of 40. Your doctor may suggest taking medications to help restore your regular cycle and stimulate ovulation if your infertility is unexplained or other treatments haven’t corrected it.[36] Take these medications to increase your chances of getting pregnant.[37]

Speak to your doctor about the best medication for you.[38] She may suggest options such as clomiphene citrate (clomid or Serophene) or letrozole (Femara), which are considered safe drugs and are relatively inexpensive.[39]

Inject or ingest fertility drugs. They may cause nausea, insomnia, and headaches.[40]

Be aware that fertility drugs can result in multiple pregnancy or conditions such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, which causes the ovaries to become painful and swollen.[41]

5

Consider Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). If you’re still having trouble conceiving following treatment, consider using one of the many forms of assisted reproductive technology available today.[42] From in-vitro fertilization to gestational carrier, ARTs can greatly increase your chances of conceiving or having a baby to 5-10% per cycle.[43] Some of the following ARTs may be available to you:

In-vitro fertilization (IVF), which is the most commonly used ART.[44] This requires collecting eggs and sperm from the woman and man and then fertilizing them in a dish in a lab. After fertilization, the embryos are implanting into the woman.[45]

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in which a healthy sperm is injected into a mature egg.[46]

Donor eggs or sperm. Although most couples will use their own eggs and sperm, if there are serious problems with either the eggs or sperm, you can opt to use a known or anonymous donor egg or sperm.[47]

Gestational carrier. If you have some physical issue that impedes carrying a pregnancy but not conceiving, you can choose to have the embryo placed in the uterus of a woman who agrees to carry the baby.[48]